Swine Teaching and Research Center
About Us
The Penn Vet Swine Teaching & Research Center was originally established in 2001. The research facility houses a demonstration herd for alternatives to gestation management in swine, and a space for teaching veterinary students. The facility was subsequently expanded and upgraded in 2009 to expand the mission to include research. Today, our team works with farmers, veterinarians, industry leaders, and corporations to help advance swine nutrition, husbandry, productivity, and welfare.
- An electronic sow feeding (ESF) system was implemented in 2001.
- By 2005, the basic ESF model that was prototyped at the swine center was being implemented with our guidance on commercial herds.
- Today, our ESF system is feeding over 150,000 sows on 65 farms across the United States and Canada. The farms range in size from 100 to 10,000 sows, utilize a variety of common genetic suppliers, and are either family-owned and operated or company-owned and run with hired labor. The best farms are pushing above 30 pigs weaned per sow per year.
Electronic Sow Feeding
Producers who plan to build new sow facilities and/or stay in the business long enough to recapitalize their existing sow facilities will likely need to confront decisions about sow housing over the next decade. Several alternatives to the gestation stall exist, but it is important that a producer’s choice matches his or her needs and abilities. We’ve demonstrated that ESF, if properly managed, is not a barrier to outstanding production.
There are several paths to the implementation of ESF based on the availability of existing facilities and/or access to ground for new construction.
Publications
Place conditioning as evaluation of affective valence in piglets. Ede T, Ibach S, Parsons TD. Sci Rep. 2024 Oct 24;14(1):25216. doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-75849-5.PMID: 39448650
Cognitive tasks as measures of pig welfare: a systematic review. Ede T, Parsons TD. Front Vet Sci. 2023 Nov 13;10:1251070. doi: 10.3389/fvets.2023.1251070. eCollection 2023.PMID: 38033647
A systematic review of the impact of housing on sow welfare during post-weaning and early pregnancy periods. Chou JY, Parsons TD. Front Vet Sci. 2022 Aug 23;9:903822. doi: 10.3389/fvets.2022.903822. eCollection 2022.PMID: 36082213
Feeding levels during early gestation in a group-housing system for primiparous sows: impact on piglet birthweight and litter uniformity. Dumniem N, Parsons TD, Tummaruk P.Anim Biosci. 2025 Feb;38(2):360-370. doi: 10.5713/ab.24.0415. Epub 2024 Aug 26.PMID: 39210797
Gilts prefer an open pen to a stall. Ede T, Ceribelli M, Parsons TD. Sci Rep. 2024 Apr 27;14(1):9684. doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-60617-2.PMID: 38678149
Director, Swine Teaching and Research Center
Thomas D. Parsons, VMD, PhD
Professor of Swine Production Medicine
Find Us
University of Pennsylvania
School of Veterinary Medicine
New Bolton Center
382 West Street Road
Kennett Square, PA 19348
Reports, website, and billing:
Cheryl O’Sullivan
Financial Admin. Coordinator
Media requests:
For all press inquiries, please fill out the Press Inquiry Form.
Our Team
Dhvani Ajay Barot
Thomas Ede, PhD
Sarah Ibach
Leandro Sabei
Marisol Parada Sarmiento, PhD
Abigale Zoltick
Teaching/Production
Lori Stone
Herdsperson
Administration
Cheryl O’Sullivan
Financial Administrative Coordinator
Regenerative Ag Alliance promotes stream health through agroforestry (link is external)
After meticulous planning, the Alliance planted an initial 250 trees at New Bolton Center with assistance from enthusiastic volunteers and students from Penn Vet and Weitzman. The project aims to…
Three Faculty from the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Veterinary Medicine Appointed to Endowed Professorships
Thomas D. Parsons, Christopher J. Lengner and Amy L. Johnson have been recognized for scholarly achievements.
Swine Teaching & Research Center
Media requests
For all press inquiries, please fill out the Press Inquiry Form.